Abstract

The northwest region of Iran, due to its strategic location and unique historical significance, the existence of different human cultures in the past to contemporary era, has played a pivotal role in the cultural exchanges of the Near East. Pottery, as one of the factors of conveying concepts, which appeared as a result of the changes and transformations of the past era, and through its rich shapes and decorations, expresses the artistic concepts of each era more expressively than all human creations. The present research aims to conduct a stylistic analysis of Ardabil pottery housed in the Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Archaeological Museum. The methodology employed combines field-based and museum studies with a descriptive-analytical approach (based on library research). The pottery examined in this study consists of confiscated objects that have been transferred to the Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Archaeological Museum. Due to the large quantity of such objects in various museums and collections, they have been classified, though their historical or geographical context has not always been adequately documented. Therefore, this study includes comparative analyses with similar samples found in the National Museum of Iran, archaeological sites in Iran, and neighboring regions. Ardabil pottery represents one of the most essential subjects in the study of pottery from northwest Iran. Most of this type of pottery has been obtained through illegal excavations and smuggling, and only a limited number of examples have been scientifically excavated. The pottery forms include jugs, bowls, and drinking vessels with clover-shaped rims, handles, spouts, and bases. The predominant color is red- tending to orange and pea color, and geometric decorations include triangular motifs and embossed buttons.... The chronological range of the studied pottery, based on its patterns, spans from prehistoric times to the late Parthian period, while in terms of the forms, spans from the late first millennium BCE (Iron Age III) to the historical period (late Parthian).